Community Corner

East Haven Continues to Fight Tweed Runway Expansion

East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo continues to oppose any runway expansion.

Tweed Airport Executive Director Timothy Larson concedes there was a failure to communicate with East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. regarding a proposed General Assembly bill that could have led to the expansion of the airport’s runway, the New Haven Register reports. 

Larson says he will work better to communicate more with Maturo and New Haven Mayor Toni Harp regarding talks about possible runway expansion, Evan Lips reports. 

Maturo last week wrote a scathing letter to Harp saying he felt left out of talks regarding the future of the airport. A proposed state bill would have allocated $2 million to chop down trees and pave over grass safety area possibly leading to expansion of the runway.

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However, Maturo in his letter last week said a 2009 agreement between East Haven and New Haven capped the runway, and further expansion is not possible. Maturo threatened limitation over the issue. 

On Thursday, Maturo released a statement saying, “I am pleased that Executive Director Larson has pledged to be more transparent and collaborative regarding the future of Tweed Airport.  

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As I previously indicated, our community appreciates the fact that Tweed is a critical regional resource and we will continue to work with the City and the Airport Authority to promote the success of the airport. However, in collaborating with the authority and the City of New Haven, I will continue to vigorously advocate for the residents who live around the airport and who have legitimate quality-of- life concerns about the future operation and potential expansion of the airport’s footprint,” Maturo said. 


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